Relates to additional financial disclosure by the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly

2 Co-sponsors

• Suzi Oppenheimer
• Michael H. Ranzenhofer

BILL NUMBER:S2548

Title of bill

An act to amend the public officers law, in relation to financial disclosure by the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the assembly

Purpose or general idea of bill

To require broader disclosure of the outside income of the Speaker of the Assembly and Temporary President of the Senate.

Summary of specific provisions

Requires the Speaker and Temporary President, in addition to filing any other information on their ethics disclosure forms to specify the amount and source of income they received and the nature of the services rendered or goods sold associated with that income. The bill also maintains existing privileges where a individual or entity (ie. attorney/client privilege) has a right not to have their name disclosed.

Effects of present law which this bill would alter

Presently the Speaker of the Assembly and Temporary President of the Senate are required to disclose outside income in only broad categories.

Justification

The Brennan Center has pointed out that the Legislative Leadership has a "stranglehold" on bills which reach the floor for a vote. People have a clear right to know what payments are being made to leaders with such power.

Disclosure of actual income, rather than broad based categories, particularly by the legislative leadership who have "a stranglehold on the flow of legislation at all stages of the legislative process" (quoting the Brennan Center's January 2, 2009 report), is a more than reasonable reform which the State can make to help again give people confidence in their government.

Legislative history

S.2597 of 2009: Referred to Finance

Fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

Immediately and apply to any filing made for calendar year 2012 or later.